Write-up

National Film Fellowship Spotlighting Males of Color Expands, Launches Narratives

a scene from the film “Rites,” a story about black fatherhood and lost innocence one day at Brooklyn barbershop

Oakland, CA – – Yesterday the Game Changers Project (GCP), an Oakland-based national media fellowship for emerging filmmakers of color, made four significant program announcements for this, their fourth year: a new partnership supported by The California Endowment and their Sons and Brothers Campaign; a new genre added to the program: the short narrative, including a new web series; the completion of 18 new “micro-documentary” and short narrative films by ten filmmakers from six cities across the country; and a rebranded logo and new website.

Cheo Tyehimba Taylor, Founder and Executive Producer of GCP, offered this insight, “As we wrap our fourth consecutive year of refining this unprecedented new media model, our premise remains the same: We must not only capture the undocumented humanity of males of color but we must also pursue the finer aesthetics of visual storytelling. With every frame, we’re still committed to seeding a new generation of “activist story-tellers.” He adds, “They still produce media on behalf of community organizations working for social equity but this year we’ve expanded our vision. With a new scripted web series and dramatic shorts, we’re broadening our stories beyond Black males to include other males of color. These new elements will heighten our ability to spotlight complex characters.”

The program was launched in 2011 with the support of the Open Society Foundations’ Campaign for Black Male Achievement. Currently, GCP is supported by The Heinz Endowments and the California Endowments. In 2012, in only its second year of operation, GCP Fellows surpassed all expectations and produced 30 micro-documentary films for 30 non-profits across the country that advocate for Black men and boys. Also, Taylor was nominated for EBONY.com Magazine’s MANifest Award for visionary work. Beginning this fall and through the spring 2015, the new films for 2014 will be screened at GCP Film Forums in select cities and college campuses across the country. To learn more, visit the new GCP website online at www.gamechangersproject.org. On Facebook: GameChangersProject, Twitter: @GameChangers007, and YouTube: TheGameChangersTV

The Program

GCP Fellows produce short docs about community heroes

GCP is a six-to-eight month fellowship designed to catalyze men and women “activist story-tellers” across the nation who shoot, edit, and produce approximately six-minute “micro-documentaries” and dramatic scripted shorts about ordinary men of color (and other under-represented groups) who are doing extraordinarily positive work in their communities, those who are “changing the game.” The areas of focus are diverse: justice and social equity; health and wellness, arts and culture; fatherhood and family; technology and innovation; business and entrepreneurship; and other areas. Fellows in six cities (New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Oakland) work with local community organizations and produce short films that represent the organizations’ missions as well as narrative films with relevant subject matter.

Interested parties must apply to become a fellow and must have solid production experience and credits (including, shooting, writing, editing, and producing short video). They must also range in age from 21 to 40 and must reside (or have grown up) in one of the six Game Changer cities. During the program, fellows receive a stipend, orientation and training, and are assigned organizations and/or subjects to work with. In some cases, fellows are offered professional opportunities for freelance work in the industry or teaching in workshops. To apply for a 2015 GCP Fellowship, please visit www.gamechangersproject.org

2014 Media Partners

Each micro-documentary is published and/or broadcast on various multimedia platforms: various digital platforms and networks, including our official media partners WQED Multimedia, Pittsburgh’s public media company (the Filmmakers Corner show), and I Love Being Black – A Facebook page with over six million friends. In recent years, GCP films have been published on sites such as MSNBC.com, HuffPost.com, theGrio.com, Ebony.com, and others.

New for 2014 Season

For the 2014 fall season, ten GCP fellows produced 18 short films for 15 non-profits in six cities across the country. The following is a partial list of new and upcoming films and/or subjects:

Activist-turned-Cop after Oscar Grant Tragedy; Inspires with One-man Play

Could an App Have Saved Trayvon? Technologist Launches First Hackathon for Black Male Achievement

High School Students Challenge School District’s “Zero Tolerance” Policy and Win

Pittsburgh Mentoring Program Closes Achievement Gap

Back to Africa Program Helps Transform Youth

Growing Good Sons: Help for Single Mothers of Black Boys

Accomplished Actor and Playwright Mentors Homeless Youth

Hip Hop DJ Inspires Youth to Social Activism

Pittsburgh Prison Ministry Transforms Black Men

In 2014, GCP also produced three short narratives.

“Rites” a dramatic short film about black fatherhood and lost innocence one day at Brooklyn barbershop. (Forward Ever Films)

“Expecting”: a multi-episode, dramatic web series with a comedic twist about black men and unplanned pregnancies

“Lessons”: a short about a young father who tries to teach his daughter to stand up for herself but ends up showing her something far greater.

GCP on Campus

Also coming in Spring 2015 in select GCP cities, film forums will be a part of a national college tour where the shorts will be screened and followed by “talk backs” with students, faculty, and community members. Confirmed colleges and universities to date include:

University of California, Berkeley

San Jose State University

Stanford University

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

City University of New York

University of Pittsburgh

Merritt College (Oakland)

Community Partners

Taylor addressed the local undercurrent for this national fellowship, “This unique national model would not exist without our local community partners. The films we produce often are inspired and informed by those who are doing work on the ground.” The organizations are:

National: The Institute for Black Male Achievement and the 2025 Network for Black Men and Boys